Families Without Electricity and Food Vouchers

29.03.2011

Gela Mtivlishvili

Residents of Khevischala, Chartali, Cheremi and Shiraki villages in Kakheti region received neither electricity nor food vouchers. The villages have not been supplied with the electricity for almost 20 years and locals did not expect the electricity vouchers in its time. But, they did not know that in accordance to the government’s resolution, only those families were likely to receive food vouchers, who have already received electricity ones.

The president of Georgia initiated distribution of 30 GEL food vouchers on February 11 during his annual speech in the parliament of Georgia. The president said because of high inflation in the country many people get depressed. “I will do my best to instill hope into people again,” said Saakashvili.

31 429 465 GEL was allocated from the state budget to distribute vouchers. The distribution process started on March 10 and will finish till mid April. Social Agencies are in charge to distribute vouchers, but population can defray their vouchers in the Liberty Bank.

“It is a serious assistance to our population when prices have increased on products,” said Minister of Agriculture of Georgia Bakur Kvezereli.

“Although this initiative cannot resolve the problem for a long-term perspective, the government has some plans for future. Anyway, it is a little benefit for our population at this stage,” said the Minister of Healthcare Andria Urushadze.

The residents of Khevischala and Chartali villages in Akhmeta district have not received food vouchers yet; the families in Cheremi village, Gurjaani district, and in Shiraki settlement in Dedoplistskaro district have not received the vouchers either.

“Yesterday I went to see our village governor in Sakobiano but he was in Akhmeta. His colleague told me we are not on the list. Only those families will receive the food vouchers who received electricity vouchers. However, we have not received them because we have not been supplied with electricity for 20 years already. We did not know about the food vouchers but learned about it on radio,” said a resident of Khevischala village Tamaz Khadilashvili.

“I called the governor and he said we were not on the list. He said he could not assist me; he himself was requested to give his own voucher to another family,” said a local resident Shorena Khadilashvili.

Tsiala Kavtaradze from Shiraki settlement: “I met the district governor and complained about the food voucher. He said he could not give it to us because we were not on the list. Our settlement does not have village status, we are not registered as local residents and they could not issue vouchers on us. But, if we are on the list during the elections, what happens about those vouchers then? Why are not we on the list now?”

The website of the Ministry of Labor, Healthcare and Social Welfare of Georgia reports that citizens can call ministry hotline (822) 510 - 033, (822) 910 – 046 to get information about the food vouchers. We assisted the residents of Khevischala village tried to call the ministry but nobody answered their phone-calls.

The representatives of the Kakheti Coordinating Center of Social Agency clarified that lists of beneficiaries, who should receive food vouchers, are same as the lists for electricity vouchers; so, the residents of the above-listed villages were not on the list because they are not supplied with electricity.